I suppose the most important things about Christmas from a parent's viewpoint is that the children enjoy it, that it's not too stressful. that we don't get into any major arguments and that we feel happy and OK about ourselves as partners, parents and family members.
From that perspective i've had a lovely one, the girls got lovely stuff and have been consumed by them since, so it's been fairly quiet, which was important as my mum spent Christmas with us, it was not easy for her as Dad is only dead ten weeks and the wounds and lonesomeness are never far from her. She got through it and has just returned home, it's a bit difficult because the rest of us have moved on somewhat and begun to settle back into our lives, it's almost impossible for mum as Dad was her life and now that he's gone she feels helpless and everything seems a bit poiintless.
I had a great Christmas eve, we whizzed round the shops with very little to buy, and had a lovely time just meeting people and generally doing very little, in the evening Enda and I went to town and had great fun for a few hours before getting home to put stuff together and wrap for Ireland.
Christmas day was a lovely breakfast, mass, the Christmas day swim (i only raised €345 but then i only got bloody cards on Christmas eve) which was great fun and exhilarating, and then home for present opening (i got really great gifts this year) Cooking dinner was a blast and it was lovely, we rounded off the night with one of my favourite movies (which Cathy bought me on DVD) "Life is beautiful" and then we laughed and cried before traipsing off to bed.
The only downside was the re-emergence of that bloody toothache, but i got over that and today was better from that perspective.
today we all got up late, i went to curry's and got €100 off the beautiful klipsch igroove, brought it home and have been doodling and fluting since. expect tonight to bring more of the same.
have now started "The God Delusion' by Richard dawkins..... wonder what effect that's going to have!
